


notice me

by coffeewordangel



Series: tumblr drabbles [9]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: High School AU, M/M, Popular!Zayn, Tooth Rotting Fluff, nerd!liam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-28
Updated: 2016-08-28
Packaged: 2018-08-11 16:10:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7899256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffeewordangel/pseuds/coffeewordangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompted with, "How about nerd!Liam accidentally bumping into popular!Zayn and spilling the content of his lunch tray on Zayn? (idk, i guess that would be awkward but cute at the same time?)".</p>
<p><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/empty-altars">My tumblr</a>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	notice me

Liam can see it happening in slow motion, like he’s outside his body, but he can’t do a thing to stop it. From the moment he trips over nothing at all and starts falling forward, it seems to take forever. He can see his lunch tray flipping and hitting another student’s back, watery mash and mystery meat sliding down his dark shirt, and the moment feels an eternity.

Immediately afterward, once Liam is on the ground next to his fallen tray, reality speeds back up and he’s assaulted with laughter. He flushes deeply, cursing his complexion for the way it turns blotchy red when he’s embarrassed, all down his neck and chest. He realizes suddenly as one of the boys turns around that he’s made an ass of himself in front of the popular table. He’s going to get killed. Fuck.

“Walk much, Payne?” Jeremy sneers. 

The boy whose clothes Liam has utterly ruined in his clumsiness turns to address his friend and Liam realizes that he’s just spilled his lunch all over Zayn fucking Malik. Liam can’t even walk past Zayn without turning into a blushing mess who’s forgotten how words work. This is infinitely worse. This is, without a doubt, the worst moment of his life. And Liam’s spent a considerable amount of time in hospitals as a child.

“Shut the fuck up, Jeremy,” Zayn snaps. He slides off his chair and kneels in front of Liam, eyes softening as he looks him over. “You okay, Liam?”

Liam tries very hard not to gape at him. He swallows hard. “I’m fine. Sorry about your shirt.”

Zayn smiles brightly. “I have an extra. Sorry about your lunch.”

“I’m fine,” Liam repeats, slightly distracted by Zayn’s mouth. His teeth are incredibly white against the plush pink of his lips. 

“Come with me,” Zayn says, gently wrapping his fingers around Liam’s bicep and helping him up. 

Liam feels Zayn’s touch like a brand though his shirt. He has no idea what’s going on right now. He’s pretty sure Zayn isn’t going to drag him out to hurt him or anything. His gaze looks pretty fond and he does things like volunteer at animal shelters which doesn’t seem like something assholes do. 

“Get in, Malik!” one of the boys at the table yells after them.

The implication causes Liam to stumble again, which in turn causes Zayn to press a steadying hand to the small of his back. It sends shivers up Liam’s spine. While he’s nervous and embarrassed, he can’t help but be a little breathless from Zayn’s proximity. The ridiculous crush Liam’s had on him has been growing for years. He has a feeling it’s about to hit critical mass.

Their first stop is Zayn’s locker. Liam tries not to do anything obvious like stare or drool when Zayn drags the messy shirt over his head, but he doesn’t succeed particularly well. It’s just that Zayn is lovely lean planes of chest and stomach scattered with tattoos and Liam would really like to reach out and touch them. Instead he averts his gaze and shoves his hands into his pockets.

Zayn picks his lunch bag up once he’s finished changing and cocks his head. “Come outside with me,” he invites.

“Um. Okay, yeah,” Liam agrees haltingly. 

He’s feeling a little overwhelmed, but at this point he’d follow Zayn anywhere. They end up beneath an old tree around back, as secluded as they can be while at school. Zayn starts pulling containers out of his lunch sack and spreading them out. It’s almost ritualistic in its precision and Liam finds himself fascinated.

“What are you doing?” Liam asks curiously.

Zayn flashes him a brilliant smile. “Sharing my lunch with you. Mum always packs way too much and it’s loads better than the slop they serve here.”

Liam flushes and ducks his head. “You don’t have to do that. I’m fine with not eating.”

Zayn rolls his eyes and shoves a samosa into Liam’s mouth. “Shut up and eat, Liam. You won’t keep all that secret muscle you have going on if you skip meals.”

“Wha?” Liam shouldn’t talk with his mouth full. It’s rude. But, seriously, what?

After swallowing a bite of some rice dish, like a proper human, Zayn fixes him with a knowing look. “You walk around in clothes that are, like, three sizes too big and don’t make eye contact with anyone because you don’t want to be noticed. But I notice you, Liam. I’ve always noticed you.”

Liam doesn’t even know how to respond to that. He’s been looking at Zayn for so long it seems impossible that Zayn would ever look back. Liam wonders briefly if he hit his head in the lunchroom and has been hallucinating all of this. That seems more realistic, honestly.

“You don’t believe me.” Zayn’s gaze is steady, but the tilt of his lips seems sad. He nods to himself and takes a deep breath. “That’s okay. I don’t mind showing you how much you matter. Liam Payne, thank you for spilling your lunch all over me and giving me a reason to talk to you. Will you go out with me?”

Liam blinks rapidly, completely flabbergasted. If this is a hallucination, he hopes he never gets back to reality. All he can do is nod jerkily, words catching and dying in his dry throat. Zayn smiles softly at him and leans in to brush a kiss over his cheek.


End file.
